We’ve all seen it, we’ve all heard it, and we’ve all tasted it. You know what I’m talking about. McDonald’s! Whether you love it or hate it, at some point nearly everyone’s tried it. The 24-hour chain has had numerous ads throughout the years, but its most recent slogan – still in use today – says “I’m Lovin’ It”.
While they may not say the phrase on every ad anymore, the jingle is still there typically at the end of the commercials. With toys and ‘fun foods’ captivating children, adults too can enjoy foods such as their burgers, and breakfast items, their fries seem to be a favorite, and probably most enjoyed are their chicken nuggets also known as chicky nuggies.
However, as the saying goes – too much of a good thing can turn into a bad thing. One customer at McDonald’s found this out the hard way – and we can confidently say, she was NOT lovin’ it.
Paying attention goes a long way, even if what you’re taught is limited or you have little practice. This was shown by one 15-year-old McDonald’s employee who only had one hour of training under her belt. However, this was enough to save a life – Sydney Raley showed just what one hour of paying attention to learning the Heimlich maneuver can do when she saved a customer’s life.
Employed at the Eden Prairie McDonalds south of Minneapolis for upwards of seven months, the young lady had just begun her shift for that Saturday. She was expecting it to be just another day as most would when punching into work, but things would take a turn soon enough and she’d now be known as a life savor.
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Right after giving one customer a part of her order, Raley left the drive-thru window to do some work-related duties. Upon her return to the window just minutes later to let the customer know the rest of her order was almost done, she noticed the customer couldn’t breathe and was choking.
“She was coughing like crazy, and I noticed she was gagging,” Raley said. “Her daughter was in the passenger seat and she looked so freaked out. I immediately knew ‘Oh, no, she’s choking.’”
The thing Raley had originally given the customer upon their request was the nuggets. The customer might have not been able to wait to get their hands on the delicious treat and probably swallowed the chicky nuggie whole or took too big a bite.
Right away, Raley told her co-worker to call 911, she then jumped out of the drive-thru window to help the choking customer. Having taken a Red Cross sitter emergency treatment class for only an hour, Raley utilized the Heimlich maneuver with the guidance of another customer.
The chicky nuggie was dislodged, and the customer now in shock was profoundly appreciative. Specialists on call later arrived on the scene only to find out that the issue was resolved by this brave young teen.
“They said, ‘Congratulations you’re a lifesaver; you’re a hero.’” Sydney recounted. And gave her $100 from a fund they use for people who do good work in the community.
Her parents are equally if not more proud of their teen hero. As for the owner of this McDonald’s, Paul Ostergaard, well, he wrote in a statement: “We are incredibly proud of Sydney and her quick, heroic actions over the weekend to help one of our valued customers. Sydney truly personifies what it is to be a hero and we are incredibly lucky to have her as a highly-valued crew member at our Eden Prairie restaurant location.”
What a hero! Let’s hope that Paul gave her or at the very least plans to give her a good raise. It’s not every day you hire people who’d go out of their way to do something so kind. Especially with this younger generation, some would probably just get their phone out and start recording. God bless this young woman.